Quote:
Originally Posted by Spritle
This is one of the places where I believe this F1 circus could fail miserably in Austin. The cost of tickets and the cost & hassle of attending the race...
...F1 offers nothing that America can't live without, unless of course they stage a royal wedding at every USGP. 
Good luck Austin, you'll need it! |
Spritle, excellent summary of all the potential problems with F1 in Austin. The race can survive the first 2-4 years based on its novelty and glamour, but after that, people will begin to question whether the cost of tickets and hotel rooms is worth it.
The problem of poor transportation infrastructure also looms over the race. As far as I know, the question of who will pay for expanding the roads around the track remains unsettled. If there are massive traffic jams the first year, that will have a negative impact on attendance the next year. The novelty and glamour will wear off even more quickly.
Another problem for Austin is the lack of an American driver and/or team. The key to soccer (football) finally becoming somewhat popular in the U.S. (though nowhere near as popular as American football, basketball and baseball) was the emergence of the U.S. as a minor soccer power and the development of some native-born American star players. I don't see any American F1 driver or team on the horizon that would spur American interest in F1. It's the same in any country--interest in F1 picks up in any country when one of its drivers is doing well.